Over the course of the next two weeks, several meetings that are critical to the future of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, and all Orthodox faithful in North and Central America, will take place.

Beginning on Wednesday May 19th and Thursday May 20th, two working committees of this Archdiocese will meet in Englewood, NJ. Both committees were appointed by His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP in October 2009, and are chaired by His Grace Bishop JOSEPH. The Constitutional Reconciliation Committee will meet on Wednesday May 19th. The goal for this committee is to reconcile any remaining differences between the current Archdiocesan Constitution (approved by our General Assembly at a special meeting which was convened in Pittsburgh, PA in July 2004), and the Constitution that was approved by the Holy Synod of Antioch in October 2004. The second committee is chartered to study the current “Manual of Hierarchical Duties and Responsibilities” (originally approved by the Archdiocesan Synod on June 4, 2004, and amended on July 23, 2008). The committee will recommend changes to this manual in light of all of the events that have transpired since the last amendments were made.

The Archdiocesan Synod of Bishops will convene their regular Spring meeting in Englewood, New Jersey on Thursday May 20th in the evening, and will continue on Friday May 21st in the morning. Among the agenda items to be discussed will be the North American Episcopal Assembly which will convene in New York City on May 26th. In addition, each of our hierarchs will give a report on important developments in his diocese since the last meeting.

Journey To Orthodoxy announces the launch of a new, content rich website for inquirers, newcomers and those looking into the Orthodox faith.

The launch of a new website at www.journeytoorthodoxy.com, fills a void in online material for inquirers and those struggling to find and enter the Orthodox Church.

“A lot of thought, research and time went into making it easy to use and filling this site with rich content, especially for the newcomer to our Orthodox faith,” said Fr. John A. Peck, designer and president of Journey To Orthodoxy.

This website is rich with content, notably a multitude of conversion stories by converts to the Orthodox faith from a multitude of traditions.

“For the inquirer, the journey home to the Orthodox faith can seem a lonely journey at first, but they will soon know that the path to Orthodoxy is a well worn road, and that there are many before them who can help,” Peck said.

“We’re hoping that it will quickly become into the ‘go-to’ site for inquirers and catechumens,” said Fr. Hans Jacobse, a partner in the creation of JTO. “We are confident that people will find the Journey To Orthodoxy website to be inspiring, and navigating the site a good experience, and the articles rich and rewarding to read.”

Parishes can benefit from the Journey To Orthodoxy site as well. There are graphic links for JTO which webmasters can use, and the entire experience points towards contacting the local Orthodox Christian parish.

Announcement from the Ecumenical Patriarch Secretariate in Mexico, April 7, 2010:

In conformity with the canonical responsibility of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the diaspora, and sharing the vision of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW, the Holy Metropolis of Mexico is pleased to announce that, in an unceasing and continuing mission outreach ministry effectively being pursued by the Holy Metropolis of Mexico for these past twelve years, with active ministries in Haiti, Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, and following months of catechetical and pastoral preparation by the Mitered Archimandrite Andrew Vujisi, Archiepiscopal Vicar for the Holy Metropolis, and upon the written request and petition of Messrs. Andrew Girón and Michael Castellanos, leaders of a religious community in Guatemala, the heretofore Orthodox Catholic Church of Guatemala (OCCG), has been canonically received into the Holy Metropolis of Mexico.

In announcing this exciting development, His Eminence Metropolitan ATHENAGORAS of Mexico expressed his great pleasure in welcoming the OCCG which was received in its entirety, including their former clergy, seminarians, lay ministers, catechists and affiliated membership into the canonical family of the Orthodox Church. Following their official reception, the leaders of OCCG, Messrs. Andrew Girón and Michael Castellanos traveled to Mexico City where on the weekend of March 19-21, they were ordained to the Holy Priesthood, receiving the title of Archimandrite.

During Commencement at St. Vladimir’s Seminary on Saturday, May 22, 2010, the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir’s Seminary will award a Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, to His Grace, The Right Reverend BASIL (Essey).

His Grace is a 1973 alumnus of St. Vladimir’s. "He has served tirelessly to build up Orthodox Christianity in America and has contributed greatly to the field of liturgical music," reads the seminary announcement. The institution has invited the public to join in the graduation events, and to commemorate this "honorable and dedicated servant of God" in the Commencement exercises which begin at 2 p.m. on the campus of St. Vladimir's, in Crestwood, New York.

On Saturday, May 8, 2010, Archimandrite MICHAEL [Dahulich] was consecrated as Bishop of New York and New Jersey for the Orthodox Church in America, at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Jersey City. His Grace formerly served as a dean and professor at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah and other members of the Holy Synod of Bishops presided at the consecration Divine Liturgy.

The weekend's events commenced on Friday, May 7. Prior to his consecration, on the evening of May 7, clergy and faithful celebrated Bishop-elect MICHAEL'S formal Nomination with Great Vespers. Then on the following day, over 600 attended Saturday's consecration banquet.

On Sunday, May 9, Bishop MICHAEL celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral, 59 East Second Street, New York, N.Y. at 9:30 a.m.

Additional information and photographs will be posted on oca.org as they become available.

All of the clergy and faithful of the Antiochian Archdiocese exclaim Axios! to Bishop MICHAEL, and pray that the Lord will bless his episcopacy!

YONKERS, NY [OCA/SVOTS] — During the month of June 2010, Saint Vladimir’s Seminary here will offer a wide array of educational opportunities to the public. Registration fees will be waived for participants signing up by May 15th. Among the programs being offered are the following:

JUNE 3-9 — Iconography Workshops

Two master iconographers, one painting in the Russo-Byzantine style and the other painting in the Greek-Cretan School tradition, will offer iconography workshops. Protodeacon Nazari Polataiko of the Saints Alipij and Andrei Rublev Icon Studio, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, and Khouriya Erin Mary Kimmett, Norwood, MA, will limit each of their classes to 12 students. Iconographers with experience ranging from novice to master are welcome. Additional information is posted at www.svots.edu/2010-0603-iconography-workshops-upcoming.

JUNE 10-12 — Summer Symposium

“Hellenism and Orthodoxy” will be the theme of the annual Summer Symposium. His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, will deliver the public keynote lecture on Friday, June 11, at 7:00 p.m. Orthodox clerics and scholars from Turkey, Greece, and North America will round out the program. Additional information is posted at www.svots.edu/2010-0610-s....

JUNE 13-19 — Summer Academic Program

Archpriest John Behr, renowned Professor of Patristics and SVS Dean, will teach a course titled “From Gospel to Creed.” The course will examine key Christian figures and explore the historical and thematic paths that led to the formulation and promulgation of the Creed of Nicaea. A course description and requirements, schedule, registration, and fees are posted at www.svots.edu/2010-0613-s....

Guest speaker Paul Karos led a wonderful Men’s Retreat for us in 2009, “Man of the House”, and is returning again by popular demand! Paul is an Orthodox Christian husband and father of three children residing with his family in the Minneapolis area.

[New York, NY] -- On May 8, 2010 at 7:30 p.m., composer Nicholas Reeves presents Deliverance Through Devotion: The Triumph of Orthodox Music Over Oppression, an evening of music and lectures at St. Vartan Cathedral, 630 Second Avenue, New York, NY. The Canticum Novum under the direction of Harold Rosenbaum will perform works by Andriasov, Pärt, Murov, Popovici, and Schnittke. The evening honors the work of artists from five different ethnic backgrounds, Armenian, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, and Jewish, whose works were banned or controversial due to their connection with or influence from the Orthodox Church.

In the shadow of oppressive atheistic ideology such sources as Matthew the Evangelist or the Armenian saint Gregory of Narek were employed by Murov and Schnittke at the price of official ridicule or censure. Other composers' careers were stifled for their overtly Christian themes (Pärt) or were forced to remove the sacred text altogether (Popovici). In one case, Andriasov's, the fame for his ethical writings among dissident circles and accolades from the Catholicos of Armenia, coupled with his audacity to refuse the Lenin prize for music composition, incensed the Soviet authorities to wreak academic sabotage on his wife and impel exile. Yet, these artists responded to the inhumanity of an impersonal regime not with anger or violence, but with beauty and truth.

Board members discussed a wide range of topics and evaluated the delegation of day-to-day responsibilities, due to the recent vacancy of the executive director position, in order to ensure the normal operations of the OCF offices in Fishers, IN. Ongoing preparations for programs -- College Conference, Real Break, College Student Sunday, and Day of Prayer -- will be overseen by various board members. A search committee was formed to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the executive director position and to develop a formal search process, which will begin at a later date. Father Mark Leondis, OCF Board Chair, serves as the Interim executive director.

A report prepared by Brigham and Nahas Research Associates, summarizing student focus group surveys carried out in December at the East Coast College Conference at Antiochian Village in Pennsylvania, was reviewed. Seventy of the 238 student participants volunteered to take part in the surveys, which provided valuable insight into the effectiveness of the OCF ministry. Board members initiated a process to strategize methods of utilizing the results of the report, which was performed in cooperation with the Office of Vocational Ministry at Holy Cross School of Theology.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral (OCA), Washington D.C., invites all Orthodox parishes in the U.S. to add the names, ranks, and photographs of their US military veterans to the newly established Orthodox Veterans Memorial website, a 21st century extension of the cathedral's continuing commitment to praying for our Orthodox fallen.

"Our chaplains serve Orthodox of all jurisdictions and, as such, our War Memorial will honor all Orthodox Christians whose names have been submitted to be honored," wrote His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, in a letter to the faithful and friends of Saint Nicholas Cathedral. "We must never forget their sacrifice and those who have, as Abraham Lincoln so eloquently stated in his Gettysburg Address, 'given their last full measure of devotion.'"

The Orthodox Church has a longstanding tradition of dedicating churches to the memory of Orthodox Christians who have fought and died in defense of Church and country. Saint Nicholas Cathedral, modeled after the 12th century Church of Saint Dmitri in Vladimir, Russia, was built in the early 1960s as the National War Memorial Shrine. A decade-long effort to raise funds for the cathedral's construction had been blessed by the Holy Synod of Bishops in 1949. The cathedral was dedicated in 1963 to the memory of Orthodox Christians who died fighting for freedom in the Russian Revolution, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War. A bronze dedicatory tablet hangs at the entrance of the cathedral, and a book listing the names of the fallen, collected from parishes across the nation, is kept in the altar. Each year, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, these names are read aloud during the Divine Liturgy.

FOCUS North America Executive Director and CEO Fr. Justin Mathewes has released the first annual report for the year 2009. As he said in a letter to ministry friends and supporters, "We are excited to share with you our 2009 Annual Report. We have had an amazing and blessed first year. Thank you so much for making FOCUS North America a living reality.

In the annual report, you will find updates on our programs such as the Youth Equipped to Serve Program and our Parish Education Program, our FOCUS Centers, and our Partner Ministries. Also in the annual report, you will find reports from our chairman and founder, Mr. Charles Ajalat, and me about our hope and aspirations for the future and our 2009 financial report.

Thank you again for helping the poor and needy here in North America. Your gifts are helping to restore the living icons all around us."

IOCC volunteer Michael Kostaras, 17 (center), joined his father Jim and 12 other Orthodox Christians to help build new homes for families in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. (photo: IOCC Baltimore)April 30, 2010

Baltimore, Md. (IOCC) — International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) will once again be calling on Orthodox volunteers from throughout the United States to build homes for families whose lives were devastated by Gulf Coast hurricanes.

The program will give teams the opportunity to serve one-week stints in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, an area that suffered the loss of more than 48,000 housing units in Hurricane Katrina according to estimates by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Opportunities to serve begin on May 2 and end on August 1.

"I came down with my 17-year-old son," said IOCC volunteer Jim Kostaras, an architect from Boston who served on a team in Louisiana during the summer of 2009. "It was a great opportunity for us to come to New Orleans and to meet great people from Orthodox communities from across the U.S. and to put our faith to work in a meaningful way," he continued.

Volunteers don't have to be skilled – just energetic. Activities include siding, roofing, framing, landscaping and support. Over 550 Orthodox volunteers have helped build 200 homes with IOCC since the program's inception in 2006. "We are at the vanguard of a national effort to engage Orthodox volunteers in a variety of opportunities right here in the U.S.," says Pascalis Papouras, IOCC's US Program Coordinator.

The biennial conference of the Western Rite Vicariate will be held Monday, August 2 through Wednesday, August 4 in Washington D.C.

Evangelism will be the focus of this year’s conference. Presentations will be offered on making the Orthodox Faith known to the unchurched, the reception of new parishes (“provisional missions”) and on-going instruction within the parish.

Mass will be celebrated daily, together with Vespers and Lauds (or Morning Prayer). A complete schedule of the conference will be available by May 15.

The Right Reverend THOMAS (Joseph), Bishop of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, serving in the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, will attend the conference representing The Most Reverend Metropolitan PHILIP (Saliba), Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America.

Clergy and laity from Western Rite parishes, and those interested in the Western Rite, are cordially invited. Please register using the registration form which is attached.

The Western Rite Vicariate Conference is hosted by St. Gregory the Great in Washington DC and co-hosted by St. John the Baptist in Lewistown MD, Holy Trinity in Lynchburg VA and St. Patrick in Warrenton VA.

We extend our prayers and love to His Grace, Bishop MARK of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest on the occasion of his Name's Day on April 25 (Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark). May God grant him many years!

Let Mark, that most excellent of men, be extolled by us with songs and with divine hymns as Egypt’s fair and brightly shining light, as the all-wise preacher of the Father’s Son and Word, and also the divine author of the Holy Gospel of the Lord; for he intercedeth with Christ God that He grant peace and Great Mercy to our souls.

The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, England, has announced their Summer School theme and schedule for July 18-23. Titled "Passion: Human and Divine," the sessions will feature such speakers as Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, who will speak on "Divine Passion: Does God Suffer?" and "Human Passion: Enemy or Friend?"

Participants of the eleventh annual school held at Sidney Sussex College, will also be able to travel to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex for the Divine Liturgy and a monastery tour. Attendees can either chose a full package of room and board, opt for shared accommodations or make their own arrangements. For enrollment forms and information, click here.

Since October 2009 the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies has offered its Cambridge-based courses on-line, using the internet to make available some of the most distinguished teachers of Orthodox studies to students anywhere in the world.

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), located in St. Augustine, FL, is seeking 8 volunteers to join their Thank You Calling Team. Individuals on this team will make calls each month to OCMC donors thanking them for their gifts on behalf of OCMC. Solicitation is not a part of this program. Training and orientation will be provided, and calls can be made from the OCMC offices or from home if the volunteer has unlimited calling. The time commitment is 3-4 hours per month and volunteers don't have to reside in north Florida. Calling lists will be provided via email. To find out more information, or to volunteer to become a part of this team, contact Kenneth Kidd, OCMC Annual Gifts Officer, at 904-829-5132, Ext. 161 or at kenny@ocmc.org.

I regret announcing that Fr. Antony Beauchamp departed this life Saturday. Arrangements are as follows:

Fr. Antony served as pastor at St. George Church in Indianapolis, IN in 1982, and he served a number of parishes prior. He has been living in retirement as a member of this parish ever since. A vigil for Fr. Antony will begin with Psalm readings at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, at St. George Church, and a prayer service beginning at 7 p.m. Divine Liturgy will be served at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 21, and will proceed directly into the funeral service (at about 11 a.m.). Interment will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery, and the mercy meal will be a pitch-in at the church thereafter.

We express our sincere sympathies to Khouriya Patty Beauchamp, to sons Michael and Christopher and to all their families. The family requests that memorial donations be given in place of flowers to St. George Orthodox Church of Indianapolis, the Apple Patch Foundation of Kentucky or the Shriners Children’s Hospital.

Dn. Lucas Rice (left) and Dn. Ignatius WarrenIn a cooperative effort between St. Vladimir's Seminary (SVS) in Yonkers, NY and St. Herman Seminary (SHS) in Kodiak, AK, two Antiochian seminarians joined Chancellor Fr. Chad Hatfield in March 2010 for a groundbreaking missions trip to Alaska. The two seminarians, Dn. Lucas Rice and Dn. Ignatius Warren, traveled up to St. Herman to present weeklong, intensive courses in missiology, homiletics, and pastoral counseling.

Both Fr. Chad, former dean at St. Herman, and Archpriest John Dunlop, its current dean and an SVS alumnus (MDiv '94), have been instrumental in nourishing the relationship between the two seminaries, both of which are under the auspices of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

Fr. John issued the winter invitation to St. Vladimir's, stating, "This visit re-establishes a historical connection and builds bonds of friendship and our commitment to common work in educating pastors."

The two Antiochian student deacons who accompanied Fr. Chad to Kodiak this year enthusiastically testified to the significance of the Alaskan venue for missionary endeavors. Additionally, they witnessed both the wonder and the joy of teaching at the northern seminary.

"This was the trip of a lifetime," said Dn Lucas. "Kodiak was a sensory experience: the mountains, the orcas, the wind. Perhaps even more memorable was the faith of the people of Kodiak and the students at St. Herman. It was profound blessing to serve in front of St. Herman's relics at Holy Resurrection Cathedral, and rivaled only by the fellowship and hospitality of those who are doing holy work in the birthplace of American Orthodoxy."

George Ansara fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at the age of 82. Mr. Ansara will lie-in-state at the Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary, located at 18100 Merriman, Livonia, Michigan on Friday, April 16th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Trisagion prayer service begins at 8 p.m. On Saturday, April 17th, Mr. Ansara will lie-in state at the Basilica from 10:00-11:00 a.m. The Funeral Liturgy begins at 11:00 a.m. followed by a private burial.

George Ansara migrated from Aita El-Fokhar, Lebanon. He was married to the late Geraldine Ansara. With his brother Andrew, they became the largest franchise owners of the Big Boy Restaurants. An entrepreneur who also brought the Red Robin Restaurants to our state, he employed thousands of people. He started the mission of St. Mary in Livonia in 1972 with a handful of parishioners and lived to see the Basilica built to reflect what he admired most – his family, his faith and his work. George's greatest passion was that in order for family and community to survive, they must have a place to worship. George was a great dad to Lewis Ansara and Denise (Shaheen) Boumaroun, and the late Debra Ansara. He was blessed with his brother Andrew Ansara, his sisters Marie Ansara, Violette Matta and Nazik Kehdy, He was the loving grandfather of Joe, Mac, Lauren, Deanna, George, Lewis and Daniel. He is survived by many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to the Basilica of St. Mary Building Fund. Please leave the family condolences and cherished memories at harryjwillfuneralhome.com. May his memory be eternal!

Members of the Department of FinanceThe Archdiocese Department of Finance held its annual budget meeting on Tuesday April 13th, 2010 at the Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, NJ.

The main order of business was the development of the Archdiocese budget for the Fiscal Year 2012 (Feb. 1 2011 through Jan. 31 2012).

This budget was successfully developed by the members of the Department, and it will be submitted to the Archdiocese Board of Trustees for approval at their May meeting in New York City. The final step will be to submit the budget for approval to the assemblies of the Diocesan Parish Life Conferences as they meet this year.

Pictured: Mr. Paul Finley, Director of the Antiochian Village Heritage and Learning Center, Very Rev. Anthony Yazge, Director of the Department of Camping, Mr. Robert Laham, Treasurer, His Grace Bishop ANTOUN, His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP, Dr. George Farha, Vice Chairman of the Archdiocese Board of Trustees, Mr. Peter Dacales, Assistant Comptroller, and Mr. George Nassor, Assistant Treasurer. (NOTE: Dr. Farha and Mr. Nassor were unable to attend the meeting due to personal matters. Mr. Dan Abraham, North American Chairman of The Order of St. Ignatius, also attended the meeting but is not shown in the photo.)

On April 10, Saturday, Archbishop Miron, Bishop of Hajnówka, Poland, was killed in the crash of the presidential aircraft Tu-154, reports the official website of Orthodox Autocephalous Church in Poland. Archbishop Miron was a member of a presidential delegation headed to Smolensk, Russia. All eighty-eight passengers, including Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, many other senior Polish officials and eight crew members all perished in the crash as the plane burst into flames while landing in dense fog.

Stefan Dmitruk reports:

"Miroslaw Chodakowski was born on October 21, 1957 in Bialystok. He graduated from primary school in Bialystok, then from the Orthodox Seminary in Warsaw and the Higher Orthodox Seminary in Jableczna.

On December 17, 1978 he was tonsured a rassophore monk, and nine days later was ordained a deacon. On February 15, 1979 he was ordained to the rank of hieromonk. In November of 1979, the Metropolitan of Warsaw, Metropolitan Basil, tonsured him in the small schema as a hieromonk, giving him the name Miron.

Hieromonk Miron served as governor of the monastery church, St. Humphrey the Great, in Jableczna. He was also Rector of the Orthodox Theological Seminary. In 1984 he was elevated to the dignity Ihumen, adopted as part of the clergy Bialystok-Gdansk diocese, and appointed pastor of the parish church of Annunciation of Our Lady in Supraśl. In 1990, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and was appointed governor of the monastery in Supraśl.

On May 11, 1998, in accordance with the decision of the Council of Bishops of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church in Poland, Bishop Miron was appointed to the Hajnówka diocese, and on August 15, 1998, the Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski appointed bishop Miron Brigadier General and Orthodox Ordinary of Polish Army.

Antiochian Village is seeking a full time Camp Program Director, who will report to the Village Director. He or she will be responsible for a year round program which includes the development and oversight of the summer camp program staff (i.e. morning program, evening program, arts and crafts, etc).

The essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following (in no particular order) listed below. Other duties may be assigned as well:

"Have you ever met a stichera you didn’t like?" reads the brochure. "Do you know your eison from your apichema?" In conjunction with the St. Romanos Chanting Course, Antiochian Village is sponsoring a beginner's chant class from April 21-24. Taught by noted liturgical expert V. Fr. David Barr, Pastor of St. Elias Antiochian Church in Austin, Texas, the class promises to give new learners a foundation that will enable them to chant hymns in tones by the second day of the course. No prior knowledge of chant or of reading a musical score is required since the course emphasizes singing from text. Registration begins on Wednesday afternoon and classes wrap up by midday Saturday. Click here for registration information.

The icon illustrates an ancient understanding of Jesus' resurrection as the gift he offers to all humanity on a renewed Earth. While all Orthodox churches are filled with icons, the Resurrection icon in the camp chapel at Antiochian Village retreat and conference center is one of the largest in Pennsylvania and possibly the United States.

"An icon is theology in color," said Mother Alexandra, founder of the Convent of St. Thekla, which also is on the grounds of Antiochian Village in Bolivar, Westmoreland County. The center, which also houses a museum and bookstore, is a ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.